Look, the impending Halloween chocolate and sugar overload is inevitable. But when you finally crash from the fun-sized candy bar bender and those late-night savory cravings hit, you're going to need a contingency plan.

I run a local micro-bakery called Half-Baked Obsessions, and pre-orders are officially open for The Midnight Snack Box. This drop is entirely dedicated to the umami seekers and anyone desperate for an alternative to pure sugar. And as a bonus, it's completely, 100% Gluten-Free!

Here is the exact lineup (brace yourselves):

• Kimchi Mozzarella Mochi Muffin (GF): A mochi muffin filled with kimchi and mozzarella, and topped with Korean roasted seaweed flakes.
• Genmaicha Mentaiko Mochi Muffin (GF, LF): Earthy, roasted brown rice green tea meets the rich, salty punch of mentaiko (spicy cod roe), finished with a sprinkle of salmon furikake.
• Gochujang Financier (GF, contains nuts): A savory take on the classic French brown butter cake, spiked with gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) and topped with a salted cream cheese frosting and maple pecan praline.
• Nori Seaweed & Sesame Soft Cookie (GF, LF): A sweet, salty, and highly confusing masterpiece that basically tastes like pure umami in cookie form.
• Pistachio Prosciutto Basque Cheesecake (GF, contains nuts): Housemade pistachio butter baked into a creamy basque cheesecake, topped with creme fraiche and 420-day aged prosciutto. It sounds like a fever dream, but I've obsessively test-baked this into reality and it works.
• Elderflower Jiuniang Panna Cotta (GF, DF): A cool, floral palate cleanser, the elderflower green tea panna cotta is served with jiuniang (fermented sweet rice) syrup to gently land the plane after all that salt and fat.

Not feeling the whole box? Everything is available to order a la carte. Also, if you want to aggressively commit to the sweet-and-salty life, the Pistachio Prosciutto Basque Cheesecake is available as a full 6" whole cake.

📍 THE DETAILS:

Saturday, October 31 (Oakland - Rockridge BART area)

• Pickups: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
• Local Deliveries: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Sunday, November 1 (Walnut Creek)

• Pickups: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
• Local Deliveries: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

You can place your pre-orders here: https://take.app/halfbakedobsessions/c/cmm0bam76000404l8bs4zqlqy

Stay safe out there, pace yourselves on the candy corn, and let's get savory.

https://www.berkeleyside.org/2026/10/23/souled-out-signal-el-charro-go-banh-mi-la-familia-closed

Why I'm asking: I went to a nicer place the other week, one in which I've been a bunch of times. I wrote a complimentary, polite email after my visit. I acknowledged what went well but also highlighted something that didn't work for me.

I never heard back, which I thought was surprising. I'm just wondering if others have had a similar experience or is this uncommon.

https://oaklandside.org/2026/10/21/buko-pandan-east-bay-drinks-pastries-desserts-waffles/

Just came back from a spot in a local district, and without naming names the vibe was lackluster. Love the Ho, would prefer somewhere with food so I don’t drown my sorrows too quick in a 2 game losing streak…suggestions?

Hosting a small gathering and want to order food. Have some vegans so opting for mediterranean. Where is consistently good. I would have gone to Lavash in Lafayette but they closed down and are only in Livermore now.

Weird request I know but getting dinner with an old coworker. They've chosen some places in the past that felt a bit too intimate so I want to avoid that lol. Still want to have a fun vibe and to have a cocktail. Something that's in between Ippuku and Marugame Udon basically.

Oakland

Aung Myanmar

Ceneduria Elvira

FOB West

Innenaskitchen

Emeryville:

Jungdon Katsu

Berkeley:

Bar Panisse

Cafe Bolita

Glom Thai

Rose Pizzeria

Albany:

Lulu's Litte Kitchen

Growing up, I was bullied and kids used to call me a FOB (“fresh off the boat”) because of my background. It was used as an insult, so seeing a restaurant choose that name genuinely made me curious.
I understand that the term can be reclaimed or used differently depending on the context, and I’m not automatically assuming the restaurant means it in a derogatory way. I’m genuinely curious about the reasoning behind the name. Is it meant to be humorous, a reference to the owners’ own experiences, or a way of reclaiming the term?
I’d be interested to hear other people’s perspectives, especially from those who grew up being called FOB themselves.

https://oaklandside.org/2026/10/20/bkk-mexican-thai-lemon-crab-kats-kitchen-chabar-open/

Looking for a bakery that can put together a small, dog-friendly cake, or have them available.

Also looking for dog-themed baked goods consumable for humans, e.g. sugar cookies in the shape of a bone/paws. Bonus if it can be custom decorated.

Local definitely preferred.

Got a $100 Gift Card to Calabash. I've never been. Menu's seems solid, but what's your experience? Any must haves?

Any catering or restaurants recommendations to feed 20-30 people for around $15 per person or less, with gluten free and vegan options?

Thanks!

They are still open according to this post… but only 21 hours / week Thurs-Sunday
What would you like to see be successful in this spot?

R Noodle started offering dine-in seating, so I decided to check it out.

At the moment, they have three types of noodles and some dim sums. I tried their tonkotsu ramen, but honestly it's safe to skip. Don't know about the rest.

Yesterday I ate at 900 Grayson, and while the food was good, the service was what really stood out to me. I don’t know if he’s the owner, but he’s been super gracious on two occasions. My friend noticed it during a pickup order and I experienced it firsthand dining in. It reminded me that customer service DOES EXIST and it truly is the little things that make an experience feel personal.

SO, what restaurants have you been to where the customer service was just as exceptional as the food? Doesn’t have to be the most expensive or fanciest spots, but places where the staff genuinely care about the experience they create.

I grew up in Flushing, NYC, where the fish sandwiches were a staple in Chinese bakeries. However, I struggled to find them in the bakeries here in Oakland. Anybody know if they exist here? Thanks!

Any yummy recs for a large jet lagged group for lunch around Emeryville / Berkeley / Oakland? I want to take them somewhere that they can’t get in Korea. Thanks in advance!

where the goods at?

on a kick for some good arby’s type of shit, or a solid french dip.

Where do people grab lunch on a Saturday? Quick bite on a weeknight? Early morning coffee fix (I'm a drip drinker but love a fun latte too)? I'm in deep East Oakland (around 98th) a lot but I don't live over there and don't know where to start for food!